


determined to fall; in love or out of it

by enfykylo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, No Smut, Romance, sfw, soft, softcore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 00:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20183467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enfykylo/pseuds/enfykylo
Summary: It isn't always easy to own a flower shop, especially if it was betrothed to you by your deceased grandmother. Though, Ben Solo is up for the challenge.Life was normal, just as average as can be, until she came in. Hair tousled from the wind, the girl with the particularly interesting hair walked into the flower shop at 8:15 A.M. on Friday the 16th. She was wearing ripped black jeans and a cream-colored sweater. Freckles bedazzled her rosy cheeks, and when she began to speak, Ben knew he was heartstruck.And he knew he had to see her again.





	1. Daisies Are The Perfect Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My Space Sister. You know who you are.](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+Space+Sister.+You+know+who+you+are.).

> I am not a perfect writer, nor will I ever be, but I will sure try to get my point across! My name is Grace, and I love writing and poetry. I am also a big Star Wars fan, hence me making this fanfic. I hope that one person enjoys this little story. Thank you for reading. With love, Grace.

**B**en Solo had never been in love before. Never felt the flutter in his stomach, even thinking about someone.

That is... until Ben met Rey.

That girl was a peculiar one, with her hair in three buns going vertically down the back of her head, to her thick English accent.

And then he knew... he'd never be the same again.

* * *

_**D**ing ding. _The gentle bell rings, letting me know that someone has entered the shop. I walk toward the front counter, dodging the short doorframe leading to the back office. Screw my grandmother and her small stature. I swear I'm gonna get my head chopped off one of these days. I look up to see-- more like hear-- this girl. Her thick accent pushes through as she seems to yell at... _the floor?_

I lean over the counter, and there sits a dog that is barely bigger than a rat...

"Hi," the girl pulls at my attention. Hazel eyes stare widely at mine, and she laughs while sticking her hand out toward me.

I shake her hand. "Um, hello."

"Sorry about that. Bean-Bean was starting to chew on one of your flowers."

"Bean-Bean?"

She laughs again. "Yes, that's my dog! He's so small he reminds me of a bean. I call him 'Bee-bee' for short."

I manage a laugh, to make her more comfortable. "That's-- that's a good name."

I get swept up once again looking at the freckles on her nose before she speaks up.

"Anyways so--" "What are you looking for?"

"Well, I'm Rey-- by the way..."

"Ben," I reply, as I feel a little heat rise to my face.

"Nice to meet you, Ben! Anyway, my best friend just finally started dating this guy she fell in love with, and I wanted to get flowers to congratulate them."

We browse around a bit until she picks out a nice bouquet of daisies.

"This is perfect," she exclaims as she slides me a twenty.

"No, it's okay... It's on the house."

Her smile grows as she looks up at me. "Wait, really? You're so sweet! Thanks, Ben!"

Then she gets something out of her purse, and she seems to be scribbling something down.

She shoves a small piece of crumpled up paper into my hand, then tucks a stray hair behind her ear.

"See you later." She smiles and winks at me, before leaving the shop.

_Later?_


	2. I wanna hold your hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben Solo tracks down Rey. Read the chapter to see what happens!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who left kudos on chapter one! It's been weird for me to write stuff and actually post it... Anyway! Enjoy chapter two!! - Grace

**Y**ou know I'm not that stupid, right?" I look at Hux, as he smirks at me.

"Yes, but if you sell me these for ten dollars off like I'm asking, then I'll tell all my friends about your little shop here...." My annoying, yet frequent customer, leans over the counter.

"You know I have the right to refuse service to anyone? And besides, I think your grandma will be fine without these," I say, trying to get the petulant redhead to leave. 

"Fine," he rolls his eyes, "$20 it is."

"Great," I respond while scanning the barcodes. "You know you don't have to get her these, right?"

"Yeah," he sighs, "but she's kinder to me when I do get them... which helps, especially with me living there and all."

I try to hold in a chuckle. "Yeah, you're probably right."

I hand him the bouquet, and he finally leaves. But when he opens the door, someone else takes his place... or should I say something?

I look over the counter to the dog staring up with me.

_Is that?..._

"Bean-bean!" I hear her strong accent.

_Rey._

"Oh, hello again!" She walks in and picks up the dog. "Sorry about him!"

"No, you're fine," I say with a smile.

"How are you today, Ben?"

_She remembered my name?_

"Um, I'm doing just fine. How about yourself?" I reply, nervously. I can already feel my face warming up.

She chuckles, "I'm doing great! I had dinner with my friends last night, and I'm about to take Bee-bee to the park!"

"That-- that sounds nice!" I respond to her.

_Go ahead, Ben. Just say it. You never know if you'll see her again._

"Wait!" I call out, right before she steps out the door. "I was, um..." I take a deep breath. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out... sometime?"

A smile stretches across her face. "I thought you'd never ask." She turns around to face me. "What would you like to do, Ben?"

My heart rate picks up. _I didn't think of what would happen if I got this far..._ _Come on, think._

"We could go bowling?" She suggests.

_Crap._

"That sounds great!" I respond as cheerfully as I can muster. _Bowling? Really? I'm an absolutely horrible bowler._

"What time should I pick you up?" She asks, with a wink.

I laugh, "I'll pick you up at six. Give me your address."

I slide a scrap piece of paper to her, and she jots down an address.

"Alright, I'll see you later, then." She says, with a final smile.

"Sounds good," I smile at her.

"Bye, Ben."

"Bye, Rey. And... uh, dog."

I hear her nice laugh as she leaves the building.


	3. across the universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben finally go on their first date. pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Sorry for taking a while to update. College is hard, and so is mental illness. I've been trying to work on both. Anyways, I really wanted to update this story because it's a nice lil' escape from everything and I think it's pretty cute, so I hope you do too. I hope you all are well. Thank you so much for the kudos! I know this story is far from perfect, but it means a lot xx - Grace 
> 
> Also, my twitter is @benso1o (the "l" is the number 1)

*side note* (Sorry I haven't uploaded in forever, I just have been busy with uni and everything. Hope you enjoy <3)

+++++

Rey's POV

I nervously run my fingers through my hair for the fifth time within the last minute.

"Reyrey, it's gonna be alright," my best friend, Rose, says to me as she spreads out across my bed.

"That's a load," I chuckle, then plop down next to her.

Rose and I met in high school, and we have been very close ever since. We help bring out the best in each other. One day, as normal as any other, she transferred to my school, and everything changed. She helped brighten my outlook on life, and she pulled my friend group closer than ever. We wouldn't be the same without our Rose.

"What should I wear tonight?" I ask her, nervously.

"Awe," she coos and grins at me, "is Rey _nervous? _"

"I am not!" I say louder, mostly for myself.

_I'm not nervous._

*Flashback*

The boy shuffles back in forth in front of the door, waiting to open it.

"Are you gonna open it?" I ask him.

He looks over at me and groans. "I don't wanna go in there with you."

Even though I knew how he felt, my heart still sunk to my stomach.

"And why is that?" I try to speak up.

"Look, I'm only bringing you here because I have to. My mom felt bad that you are an orphan so she wanted me to bring you."

"Oh," I respond, a bit shaky. "That's alright then. You go on. We can leave together so your mom thinks we had a good time and whatnot."

The boy looks relieved. "Thanks, Rey. Really."

He stays inside and leaves me out in the rain. Alone. _It's alright, though, _I tell myself. I already knew that no one would want to go to the dance with a nobody. I'll just wait out here under the pergola.

*End of Flashback*

"So, yeah. If you wear either one of those outfits, you should be good to go." Rose smiles at me proudly.

"Come again?"

"Did you space out again? Reyrey-- no, it's fine. Give her space." Rose flickers between talking to me and to herself. "I found the perfect outfit for you to wear tonight!"

++++++++++

I look at myself for the thousandth time in the mirror, making sure I look as decent as possible. Rose thinks I look "immaculate", but I could think of tons of other words.

"Rey," Rose pulls me aside. "Stop looking in the mirror. He should be here soon, and you're psyching yourself out."

"But-" I try to cut in, but she intercedes.

"No. You look amazing, truly. I think you guys will get along just great. Don't worry about it. Take a deep breath, okay? You are not a nobody. _Listen to me. You deserve this._"

"Deep breaths," I say back to her. I pick up Bean-bean and give him a little cuddle. "Hey Ro, can we watch the stars from the field tonight, when I get back? I've been missing them a lot recently."

"Of course," she smiles. "That is, if you come back home tonight..." She has herself a laughing fit, and I roll my eyes.

I hear the doorbell ring through the apartment.

"Well," I hand the dog to Rose. "Here we go."

"Good luck!"

As I walk through the front room, I realize that it is a crap hole. I should've tidied up even a little bit, so he doesn't think we live in a pigstye.

I take one last deep breath, then open the door.

I feel the warmth rise to my face when I see him.

"Hi, Ben," I say, nervously.

"Hello."

He looks amazing, even in his simple black sweater and jeans. I notice that he has one of his hands behind his back.

"I, um-- I brought you this. I didn't know if you'd want a flower or not."

A grin breaks out on my face at the simple daisy he holds between his fingers. The flower looks even more dainty in his large hand.

"Do you mind if I--" He nods toward my hair, and I am thankful that I let it down tonight, only pulling a little bit back in a bun.

I give him a small nod, and he tucks the stem of the daisy right behind my ear. The simple gesture warms my heart.

I suddenly feel weird and sappy, and I feel the need to lighten the tension. "So, how good of a bowler are you?"

He awkwardly chuckles and looks away. "Yeah, about that..."

"It's okay," I smile up at him, and place my hand in his, leading him down the hallway.

"You'll be a pro after tonight is over," I say, and he laughs.

Ben leads me to his car, and he opens the door for me. I slide into the passenger seat, and he closes the door behind me.

Immediately I try to stake out what kind of music he's got. I can already tell he likes it a little bit old-school because he's got several CDs in the compartment. It's sad how that's considered "old-school" now, but again, most people just have their music downloaded nowadays. He's got a couple of CDs from The Cure, a couple more from Coldplay, and a few Queen albums. Seems pretty good. I pull a couple of them out as he gets in the car, and I see something further in the compartment. 

"Is that..." I laugh and pull out a Beyoncé CD. "Ben, do you sing in the car to 'Single Ladies'?"

His face gets as red as a tomato, and he quickly defends himself. "That would be my mother's. I drive her places sometimes."

"Uh-huh," I respond. "I fully believe you."

He smiles at me, relaxing a bit. "You better."

The drive to the bowling alley is quick, and we banter back and forth a bit. By the time we get there, I feel a lot more comfortable. _Rey, there's nothing to be afraid of. He's not evil or anything._

He comes around the car again to get the door for me and he takes my hand in his own.

"What a gentleman."

"I try to be."

We go inside and go to the counter. I flag down the first worker I see. She approaches with a smile and asks for our shoe sizes. Ben pays for our game, then the girl, Rily, gets the shoes for us.

We walk down to the furthest lane from the door, it being a bit quieter down there. The place isn't all that crowded, to begin with, but I want to be able to hear Ben so we can chat a bit.

We slip on our shoes, then Ben asks for my name for the game.

"Do you want me to just put in 'Rey'," he asks.

"Of course not!" I exclaim, "that's not exciting enough." I go and lean over him, typing my player name into the database.

"Starkiller?" He looks at me funny.

"Yeah, of course. I'm gonna wipe the floor on this game," I smirk at him.

He leans in, looking deeply into my eyes. "Rey," he asks, his breath warming up my face.

I hold back a shudder. "Y-yeah?"

"Game on."


	4. Starkiller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of Rey and Ben's first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad that I rarely post, but I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. - Grace

Rey's POV

"There is no way you just beat me," Ben looks at me, his eyes wild.

"Of course I did," I laugh. "I didn't put my name in as 'Starkiller' for nothing!"

The two of us walk up to the counter, returning our shoes and bowling balls. Ben reaches to take my hand as we leave the building. I let him. I get butterflies in my stomach as I feel his fingers interlace with mine. The feeling is foreign, but comfortable all at the same time.

"You know..." he looks down at me, "I think I'm gonna have to reward you for winning. I truly didn't think you would--"

I interrupt him with a subtle slap on the arm. "You're a jerk."

He laughs in response, "Well I think I need to get you ice cream. How would you feel about that?"

"Sounds amazing! You have a place in mind?"

"Yeah," he replies. "I'll take you there right now." Ben opens the car door for me.

"So you're not gonna tell me where," I ask him as I slide into my seat.

"I never said I wouldn't... But now you're tempting me."

"Screw you," I whisper to myself after he shuts the door.

I take a quick moment to check my phone for any messages. Only one message waits on my lock screen, and it's from Rose.

_How's it going?_

It's funny how she texts me when she knows I won't respond-- not when I'm out with someone. I try to remain engaged in whatever situation I'm in at the time. I choose to power my phone off completely as Ben gets into the driver's seat.

"I haven't scared you off yet, have I?" He chuckles, almost nervously. _Why would he be nervous with me, of all people?_

"No," I choose a witty response. "Unfortunately I'm not afraid of men who listen to Beyoncé in their free time."

He groans, "I told you, that's my mom's CD. Not mine."

"Oh, are you sure about that?"

His tone changes. "So, are you from England? I haven't gotten the chance to ask that, but I would assume so... given your accent and all that."

I feel my heart rate pick up a bit. I'd rather not talk about this on the first date, though it always seems to come up. "Yeah, I am, actually. Though I've lived here in the U.S. for most of my life."

He begins to drive to whatever place he has decided to take me. "So why'd you move here?"

I was hoping he wouldn't ask. "Personal reasons." I feel myself start to shut down, but I can't do that.

"Hey," Ben's voice softly breaks the silence. "I don't wanna pressure anything out of you. You don't have to tell me, I promise. Though I wouldn't ever hurt you."

I feel a tear start to spill down my cheek, though I swiftly stop it with my fingertips. "No, it's alright. Thank you. I'm sorry." I sigh, "I left because of my parents. They died, and I couldn't stand being there anymore."

"Oh," I hear him whisper, without saying anything else.

"I'm sorry for ruining the mood," I force out a laugh. "I'm not usually like this-- I swear."

"No, don't you ever apologize to me, Rey. It's not your fault at all. I'm just so sorry that happened." He looks me in the eyes as he talks to me, and the red tint of the streetlights accentuates his face.

"Thank you, truly." I smile at him, as my insides flood with warmth. Ben has this way of making me feel as if I'm the only person on earth.

He pulls the car into a parking lot of a small ice cream shop called _Small's_. I've seen this place, but I've never actually been to it.

Ben comes around to get the door for me, and I step out of the car. He surprises me by pulling me to his chest.

"Thank you for being honest with me. People don't like to do that so often."

I finally choose to let the tears come, feeling safe in his arms. _Maybe both of us are broken. _I inhale the nice earthy scent from his black sweater, and he subs small circles on my back.

"Ice cream should help you feel better. It has worked wonders for me." Ben laughs, trying to lighten the mood.

I laugh, and he lets go of me. I take his hand this time, and we walk into the shop. We both order cookies n' cream, and I insist on paying. I spend the rest of the evening asking him simple questions about himself, and he gives me simple answers. I like learning them though, because they all attribute to who he is.

We end the night when he drops me off at home, walking me to my door.

I look up at him, and he smiles down at me. "You, Ben, are a pretty remarkable person."

He grins, and I'm pretty sure I see a bit of a blush. "You're not so bad yourself, Rey."

He bends down and gives me a small kiss on my forehead, and a pure feeling settles in. _I could get used to this._

"Goodnight," I say to him, before stepping into the apartment.

"Goodnight, Rey."

I shut the door and hear his footsteps walking away. Then I turn around.

"My word Rose, could you have been any louder?!" I practically yell at her, laughing. "I heard you breathing on the other side of the door!"

Rose almost dies of laughter, then tries to get me to spill the juicy details of my brilliant date with Ben Solo.


End file.
